NEW PUBLIC SERVICE APPROACH TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA

ISSUES & PROSPECTS

Abstract

This study is titled “New Public Service Approach to Public Administration and Service Delivery in Nigeria: Issues & Prospects. The study sought to: determine the extent to which public service delivery in Nigeria is based on the articulated and shared interests of the citizens as emphasized by the New Public Service approach; ascertain the extent to which public officials respond to the citizens need in Nigeria, and investigate the effect of corruption on the attainment of goals of the New Public Service in Nigeria. Secondary sources of data were utilized to review relevant literature. Robert Dahl's (1971) Procedural Democracy Theory was used as the theoretical framework of analysis. It was found among other things that the quality of public service delivery in Nigeria is still very poor. Public service delivery in Nigeria does not significantly conform to the articulated and shared interests of the citizens; public officials are not highly responsive to the needs of the citizens; and citizens' participation which has been emphasized by the New Public Service has not been accorded its right place in the public service of the federation. The implication of inadequate citizens' participation in the policy choices, programme design and implementation of the public service is the continuous decline in the quality of public service delivery and lack of confidence on constituted public service institutions in Nigeria. The researcher among other things recommends that public service delivery in all sectors of the economy in Nigeria should be based on the articulated, collective and shared interests of the citizenry in order to accord people sense of belonging and make them co-partners and stakeholders in government service delivery.